Why did Jimmy Page initially reject The Yardbirds?
When we think of artists like Jimmy Page, we think of the fully-formed version of him, the double-necked guitar playing innovative genius that fronted Led Zeppelin. But there was a lot more to him before that.
He first started learning guitar on a beaten up old acoustic, where he replaced the G string with a B string so he could bend it like his favourite blues musicians. He would take the guitar to school with him and work out the different chords and phrases that those he admired were playing. He then moved on to the electric guitar, and it wasn’t long before he was on the road playing in one of his first bands.
This band was Neil Christian and the Crusaders, who were touring around the UK with the young and ready-to-rock Jimmy Page in tow. His enthusiasm may have taken him a touch too far on this tour, as following a run of gigs, late nights and parties, he collapsed in the street. It was a brutal realisation for Page, as it occurred to him he might not be ready for life on the road.
So, he wasn’t touring, but he had a great deal of guitar talent that needed to go somewhere… This is how Jimmy Page found himself working as a studio musician. With a combined knowledge of rock music, blues, acoustic and folk, he was able to lay down guitar work for pretty much every single artist who walked through the door, and he had a lot of success doing it.
During this period of his life, Jimmy Page also grew incredibly close to the Yardbirds, as he was a fan of the music they were making and was friends with the members of the band. Eric Clapton was the first lead guitarist that The Yardbirds had, but as we now know with hindsight, he was never one to stick around within the same musical project for too long. When he moved on to bigger and better pastures (i.e. Cream), The Yardbirds asked Jimmy Page to join in his place, but Page turned them down. Why?
Well, the answer is simple, really: he was making loads of money. Sure, being a rockstar back in the ‘60s sounds like a dream life for many, but unless you were well and truly breaking into the mainstream, there wasn’t a whole lot of money in it. However, if you were a well-respected session musician living in London, the money was rolling in. Page was enjoying his life playing music and cashing in, so he opted to turn down the Yardbirds and recommended Jeff Beck instead.
Of course, the allure of being a rockstar (and the frustration with being a nameless guitar on tracks around the world) eventually broke Page, and he decided to join the band when the offer came around for a third time. It all stemmed off the back of an argument within the band, where Jimmy Page opted to join as the bassist, playing alongside Jeff Beck. “Chris […] who was the rhythm guitarist didn’t feel confident to do the bass, so I said, ‘I’ll do it then’,” said Page, recalling the moment his life changed forever.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Led Zeppelin Newsletter
All the latest stories about Led Zeppelin from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.